Previous Projects

Functional Identification of Base J DNA in Euglena

Currently, I am working on the identification and function of Base J DNA in Euglena under the supervision of renowned plant molecular physiologist Dr. Takahiro Ishikawa at Shimane University. Base J is a hyper-modified base that represents a specific modification of thymine residues where a large glucose moiety is covalently attached to the base and extends into the major groove of the DNA helix. Base J was first identified in Trypanosoma, followingly Leishmania.  Base J functions as an RNA polymerase II transcription terminator in these organisms, and its absence causes a huge read-through at RNA polymerase II termination sites in knockout cells, resulting in cell death. 

The Biosynthesis of J occurs in two steps:

•First, a specific thymidine in DNA is converted into hydromethyldeoxyuridine (HOMedU)

•Then this HOMedU is glycosylated to form J

For my research on Euglena, the objectives I had were: 

1. Identification of the presence of Base J in Euglena. 

2. How the regulation of J occurs in Euglena. 

3. Protein expression analysis of proteins involved in J regulation. 

4. Phenotypic impact of Base J in Euglena. 

The methods I have used:

1.CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing.       2. Immunoblot, Western Blot.         3. Infusion Cloning

4 . DNA, RNA extraction                       5. PCR, Real-Time PCR                      6. Protein expression analysis

Increment of alcohol yield of Carew and Co. Ltd. 

I worked as a Research Assistant at the Department of Chemical Engineering & Polymer Science, Shahjalal University of Science & Technology under the project "Increment of alcohol yield of Carew and Co. Ltd". Carew and Co. Ltd is the largest distillery industry that produces alcohol made from sugar cane in Bangladesh. But in recent days alcohol production is decreased and we try to find out the causes behind this. High temperature, Contamination of the yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, and the antibiotics used in this process are highlighted for the lessen of alcohol. Some pilot plants were also conducted along with the main plant to find out the problems of the vat. More findings are trying to explore which could increase the rate of alcohol production.